Yieldable connection device for belt buckles



Oct. 23, 1951 s. l. HOLLANDER YIELDABLE CONNECTION DEVICE FOR BELT BUCKLES .Filed May 29. 1949 Y RHR M mm m IL An L 1W H- H..

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Patented ct. 23, 1951 .YIELDABLE CONNECTION DEVICE FOR BELT BUCKLES Seymour If. Hollander, Fairfield, Conn., assignor to Hollanderv Metaly Products Corporation,

Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application March 29, 1949, Serial No. 84,058

1 Claim. `1

The present Yinvention relates to a yieldable connection device for belt buckles, and particularly a device of this character adapted to be contained within a, pocket provided by the folded portion of the belt which is looped about the tongue supporting bar of the beltv buckle, the de- Vvice being connected at one end to the belt and at its other end to the tongue Supporting bar of the buckle to permit yieldable expansion movement of the buckle with respect to the belt. In the known devices of this character tension springs are employed to connect the relatively movable parts of the device, and these springs are exposed so that they are directly in contact with the adjacent surfaces of the belt thus impairing the operative efficiency of the springs through friction, and causing excessive wear upon the surfaces of the belt engaged thereby.

It is an object of the present invention to provide aconnection device including housing means for a compression spring, permitting free action of the spring during extension and contraction of the device without contact of the spring with the surfaces of the belt. Another object is to provide a connection device of simple and inexpensive construction, and which may be assembled in the belt with a minimum `of operations.

With the above and other objects in View, an embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, and this embodiment will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, and the invention will be nally pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1` is a top plan View of the connection device according to the illustrated exemplary embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation, as seen from the left in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an end elevation as seen from the right in Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the buckle end of a belt tted with the connection device, the dotand-dash lines showing the extended position of the buckle.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken along the line 8--8 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view, taken along the line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Similar reference characters indicate corre- 2 v sponding parts throughout the several gures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings the connection ydevice for belt buckles, according to the illustrated exemplary embodiment of the invention, includes a pair of telescopically connected members, indicated generally as IU and I'I, disposed in super#- imposed sliding engagement with each other, and preferably formed of sheet metal pressed to shape. The memberl comprises a longitudinallyextending 'spring housing recess portion I2 of semi-'circular cross-section, having flat longitudinal margin portions I3--I3 at each side, and at one end of which there is provided a relatively wide extension portion I4 having perforations I5 for attaching the member I0 to the belt by riveting, stapling or the like, as will presently more fully appear. At the end of the recess por;- tion I2, adjacent the extension I4, there is vprovided a slot opening I6 and at the other end there is provided an upwardly turned abutmentv portion I1 projecting above the plane of the upper'surfaces of the margin portions lI3 to serve as an abutment or bearing for one end of the spring, as will presently more fully appear.

The member II, also preferably of sheet metal pressed to shape, comprises a longitudinal spring housing recess portion I8 ofrsemi-circular cross section having ilat longitudinal margin portions I9 at each side having pairs of longitudinally spaced lugs 20-20 at their outer edges, adapted in the assembled relation of the members I0 and I I to be bent about the outer edges of the margin portions I3-I3 of the member I0 to telescopically connect the two members together. At one end of the recess portion I8 there is provided a. downwardly turned abutment portion 2| adapted to serve as an abutment for the opposite end of the spring from that engaged by the abutment Il of the member I0, and which in the assembled relation of the members I0 and II normally projects into the slot opening I6 of the member Ill. The margin portions I9 are provided with forward laterally spaced extensions 22,-22 having circumferentially bent bearing portions 23-23 adapted to be curled about the tongue supporting bar 24 of the buckle 25, the loop end 26 of the tongue 21- being disposed in the space between the two bearing portions in the assembled relation of the buckle, as shown in Figs. '7 and 8. In the normal contracted relation of the members I0 and II the upwardly extending abutment Il of the member I0 extends into the space between the extensions 22-22 of the member II.

In the assembled relation of the members I0 and II the recessed portions I2 and I8 are `opposed in complementary relation to each other and constitute a cylindrical housing for the helical compression spring 28, the ends of which bear against the abutments II and 2| of the respective members I and I I. The .projected edges of these abutments are rounded and of slightly *smallerv radius than the inner surfaces of the spring housing portions I2 and I8, so that as the device is extended, as shown by the dotand-dash lines in Figs. '7 and 8, the abutment of each of the members moves into the springhousing recess portion of the other member. The contracted position of the device is limited through abutment of one pair of lugs 20 with the abutment shoulders 29 of the extension portion ber I0 to the folded under end portion of the belt 3I by a staple 32'eng'aged through the holes I5, the fold at the end of the belt being provided with an elongated slot 33 engaged by the pvoted end of the tongue 21, and the folded under portion of the belt being secured to the face of the belt by stitching 34 to provide a pocket enclosing the connection device. In the contracted position of the device as shown by the full lines in Figs. '7 and 8, the buckle and the tongue may be pivotally moved for engaging the perforated other end of the belt therewith in the normal manner. As expansive pressure is exerted on the belt the connection device is extended vas shown by the dot-and-dash lines in Figs. 7 and 8, and is contracted as such pressure is relieved, thus providing for the greater comfort of the wearer.

I have illustrated and described a preferred and satisfactory embodiment of the invention, but it will .be understood that changes may be made therein within the spirit and Scope there-of as dened in the appended claim.

' What is claimed is:

In combination; a flexible garment supporting belt having one end foldedfunder about a transverse fold line and secured along its longitudinal edges to provide a generally enclosed longitudinally extending pocket having front and rear sides; and a resilient buckle-connecting device within said pocket comprising a pair of rigid generally at longitudinal strip members having a transverse dimension less than the transverse dimension of said pocket and slideably connected for relative longitudinal contraction and extension movement, and each having a straight longitudinal channel formation centrally disposed between its side edges providing a straight spring housing recess at its inner side and a straight longitudinal ridge at its outer side, and flat longitudinal margin portions at each side of said channel formation; said recesses of the respective members being in longitudinally aligned complementary relation with each other, said margin portions being in longitudinal sliding engagement with each other in the medial plane of said pocket, and said ridges being in engagement with the respective front and rear sides of said pocket to support them in a straight nonbending relation; one of said members having a spring-engaging abutmentat the outer end of its spring housing recess and having a flat vextension portion extending longitudinally beyond its inner end and having itsy side edgesinwardly spaced from the side Vedges of said belt, fastening means fixedly connecting said extension portion to one side of said pocket in the medial plane of said pocket, the other of said members having a spring-engaging abutment at the inner end of its spring housing recess and having anextension portion atits outer end constructed and arranged for attachment to a buckle disposed at least partially outwardly beyond the fold line of said pocket; and a helical compression spring disposed in the longitudinal enclosure .provided by said complementary recesses engaged at its respective ends with -said spring-engaging abutments and adapted for straightline expansion and compression within said enclosure entirely out of contact with the front and rear sides of said pocket.

SEYMOUR I. HOLLANDER. I

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,392,064 Kintzele et al. Sept.V 27,- 1921 1,550,4l1 Abraham Aug. 18, 1925 1,660,451 Linney Feb. 28, 1928 2,087,151 Hornberger July 13, 1937 2,137,796 Bayliss Nov. 22, 1938 Certificate of Correction Patent N o. 2,572,726 October 23, 1951 SEYMOUR I. HOLLANDER It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

In the headin to the drawing, line 3, date of filing, for May 29, 1949 read Marck 9, 1.945;

THOMAS F.

Assistant Gommz'ssz'oner of Patents. 

